Monday, November 23, 2009

Now in its fifth year, the Cycle University Indoor Time Trial Series starts this week at our Sandpoint Location for its 2009-2010 season. Highlights from years past have included course-record breaking rides from local professionals and epic battles between teammates. For many the competitive season doesn't start for several months, but now is the time to start high-intensity efforts to lay the foundation for a successful 2010. Come on down and enjoy a controlled suffer-fest that will leave you more fit than ever when the season starts next year. This year Wednesday nights feature a 10-kilometer course while Friday nights feature a 10-mile course and racing starts on both nights at 5:30. This series is a great workout for cyclists of every level from beginners on up and from Juniors to masters.

Here are some answers to FAQs we get about the ITT series:

What is an Indoor Time Trial?The Indoor Time Trial is a virtual race – we hook your bike up to one of eight CompuTrainers connected on our MultiRider setup. Each heat is held on a rolling course and the CompuTrainer adjusts the resistance on your rear wheel in real time according to your progress along the course. All of the riders start at the same time in each heat and every rider’s progress along the course is displayed on our projection screen along with speed, power, and heart rate (both current and average).

Why is it called a series?The results from each heat are compiled into a set of overall standings where each rider earns points according to their placing and the number of competitors. There are two categories for the overall standings: Men and Women.

Why is it such a good workout?The best way to get faster is to ride harder. An Indoor TT course takes most people 15-20 minutes (10k) or 22-35 minutes (10 mile) to finish, ideal interval lengths for increasing your sustainable power. Getting in solid, long intervals is a great way to incorporate threshold-level intensity work to your winter training. The CompuTrainer accurately measures and displays your power, allowing you to dial in the intensity of each effort and also quantitatively assess the progress of your training. Whether you use it as a weekly workout or a monthly test, the Indoor TT has a place in every winter training regimen. Lastly, as it is always easier to push yourself harder in a group, an Indoor TT often leads you to ride harder than you would at home, improving the effectiveness of your training.

How Does the Indoor TT Series Compare to InCycle?Indoor TTs are only held twice weekly and are not a fully-coached, periodized training program. Nonetheless they are a great way to work out in a supportive group environment with the quantitative feedback of wattage data.

When and Where Does the Indoor TT Series Take Place?Indoor TTs takes place every Wednesday and Friday nights at Cycle University on Sand Point Way. There are three heats: 5:30, 6:15 and 7:00 with eight spots in each heat.

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About Cycle U

Cycle University is an endurance sports coaching company with 2 retail bicycle shops founded by former pro cyclist Craig Undem based in Seattle, WA . Cycle U is run by experienced professional coaches focused on providing athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and hobbyists with the proper education, training and equipment to empower self improvement and personal excellence. Whether the focus is recreational, advanced, or professional level, the education and processes crafted by Cycle University provides the knowledge, practice & expertise to improve your athletic performance. Services include: athletic coaching, bike fitting, fitness testing, skills clinics, private lessons, indoor InCycle classes, bootcamps, coaching consultations and teams for Triathlon, Cyclocross, Road, Non-Racing Performance and MTB.

We also have 2 full service shops that sell Specialized and Felt Bicycles along with a full array of gear and clothing.

Going strong since 2004.

Cycle U's Mission Statement

It is our mission to significantly help people become healthier, stronger, safer, and faster, by using science, as well as our experience as coaches, experts and educators to maximize health and performance. We commit to make our community a healthier and better place through endurance sport.